Day 13, Group A – Pro Recco (ITA) v Jadran Split (CRO) 14-7
Recco did not disappoint their former legendary player and coach Vladimir Vujasinovic who is currently in charge at Vouliagmeni and expected an easy win from his former club against their direct rival Jadran. And it happened – and perhaps not even the Croatians were surprised; preparing to Game 5 in the local final or trying to complete a mission impossible and beat Recco in Italy – well, the latter one wasn’t in the cards so they rather left key players in Split.
Recco’s 5-1 opening was much more in the forecasts and the title-holders really enjoyed themselves under the sky as they played this match in their magnificent outdoor pool at the Ligurian coastline. Though the weather wasn’t as mild as it should have been in mid-May but that didn’t have any impact on the outcome.
Jadran tried to resist the pressure and were trailing 7-3 at halftime but in the third Recco demolished their defensive lines with a 5-0 rush. The hosts then let the Croats back a bit in the fourth to reduce the gap to seven goals by the end.
It was business as usual for Recco – perhaps we could have seen even happier faces in the Vouliagmeni camp at the time the final whistle was blown in Recco.
How they saw it
Sandro Sukno, coach, Recco
“We could play a Champions League game again in Recco, in our town, and I’m satisfied with our performance. It was an interesting game and a nice preparation for the first game of the Italian championships final we play on Tuesday.”
Jurej Mateja, coach, Jadran
“This game wasn’t important for us as our focus is on the fifth game of the Croatian final on Wednesday. We tried to do our best in the given situation, but we came here without five key players. I was happy to see our young players, they showed that we could count on them in the future.”
